Gratitude

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” (Watson, 2024) is an iconic line from the Kung-Fu Panda franchise, a nugget of wisdom from the gentle old Master Oogway. While we may not be the next Dragon Warrior, this reminder for gratitude rings true even today. In our competitive society, where professional goals and titles seem to trump all else, we may grow increasingly dissatisfied with our lives and envious of others (Kelly, 2016), underscoring the importance of gratitude in our daily lives. 

Often, we focus on what we lack, but gratitude has the opposite effect, fostering a culture of appreciation for what we have in life. This, in turn, leads to a lasting positive impact on our mental health by shifting our attention away from toxic emotions like envy. (Brown & Wong, 2017).  Gratitude can be expressed for our past (retrieving positive memories and being thankful for past blessings), the present (not taking good fortune for granted as it comes), and the future (maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude) (Harvard Health, 2021). 

Even in relationships, grateful individuals are more likely to establish long-term interpersonal relationships, express greater satisfaction in their relationships, leading to a better sense of meaning in life (Zhang et al., 2021). There are many ways to cultivate gratitude such as writing letters to those you are appreciative of (even if you don’t send them), complimenting and thanking your loved ones and colleagues, spending 10 minutes a day on prayer, meditation or mindfulness practices, or even exercises like yoga to incorporate gratitude into exercise and lastly a gratitude journal to slow brain activity and lessen the intrusion of negative thoughts, leading to a more peaceful state of mind (Kelly, 2016).

Written by: Ann Maria Joshi

01/2026

References

Brown J., Wong J. (2017, June 6). How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain. Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain 

Harvard Health. (2021, August 14). Giving thanks can make you happier. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier 

Kelly, J. D. (2016). Your best life: Breaking the cycle: The power of gratitude. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 474(12), 2594–2597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-016-5100-0 

Watson, M. (2024, August 4). 27 Top Master Oogway Quotes (with Explanation) - Life Success Journal. Life Success Journal. https://lifesuccessjournal.com/master-oogway-quotes/ 

Zhang, P., Ye, L., Fu, F., & Zhang, L. G. (2021). The influence of gratitude on the meaning of life: the mediating effect of family function and peer relationship. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.680795